1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to an electrolyte membrane including a nanocomposite ion complex, a manufacturing method thereof, and a fuel cell including the same. More particularly, aspects of the present invention relate to an electrolyte membrane including a nanocomposite ion complex obtained by introducing a basic polymer to a nanocomposite obtained by dispersing clay into sulfonated polysulfone on a nanoscale basis and having excellent hydrogen ion conductivity, low methanol crossover, and excellent mechanical strength.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fuel cells developed until now have been classified into polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells, phosphoric acid fuel cells, molten carbonate electrolyte fuel cells, and solid oxide fuel cells, according to the kind of electrolyte used. Depending on the electrolyte used, fuel cells include different constituting elements, and operate at different operating temperatures.
Clay exhibits exceptional properties, such as dimensional stability, heat resistance, mechanical strength, barrier properties, that cannot be realized in a conventional composite, when clay is dispersed into a polymer on a nanoscale basis. A technique of forming a composite using clay and a polymer is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication Nos. 2000-290505 and 2003-277610.
However, since condensation polymerization requires high monomer purity, monomer reactivity control, moisture removal, and temperature control, when a composite is formed using clay, it is very difficult to obtain a high molecular weight polymer.